The State Worker’s Top 10: Jerry Brown’s budget for state jobs and pay

Budgets declare priorities. So when California’s governors issue their initial state revenue and spending projections in January, everyone with a stake in the process immediately looks for where they stand.

That was particularly true for state workers and their unions on Jan. 10. Just two months earlier, voters had approved Gov. Jerry Brown’s ballot measure to increase taxes. Unions had put money and organizational muscle behind the proposal, which won despite conventional wisdom that it was a long shot to pass.

Brown’s budget proposal was an early peek into what he planned to do with the new taxes. State workers were particularly interested for several reasons: Contracts for most state workers were set to expire, and many thought that Brown owed it to his employees to come through with raises. After years of contractually-stagnant wages and furloughs – including one that Brown pushed to burnish his cost-cutter credentials ahead of the tax vote – many state employees figured it was time for a pay raise.

There also was some low-level buzz that Brown wanted to extend the furloughs.

About This Blog

The Sacramento Bee launched The State Worker blog in 2008 to cover state government from the perspective of California government employees. Every day The Bee filters the news through a single question: "What does this mean for state workers?" Subscribe to alerts on state pay, benefits, pensions, contracts and jobs at sacbee.com/newsletters. Twitter: @TheStateWorker.